26 May 2016

Earlier this week, the Agent of Liverpool target Mario Gotze^ refuted suggestions that the 'extraordinary' Bayern Munich attacker is on the verge of signing for Liverpool, and with the deal almost certainly off, Germany legend Lothar Matthaus has stuck the knife into the Reds for even attempting to sign Gotze.

“I don’t know anything about a transfer to Liverpool. Mario is my son, and I would know about it.”

When asked on Wednesday about the Gotze deal, Matthaus delivered a withering response:

"Why would he [Gotze] join a club that does not even play in the Champions League? He would have taken the easy solution with a move to Liverpool...but he is taking on a challenge instead".

Ouch! Matthaus is obviously not impressed with Liverpool's failure to qualify for Europe next season, and his disdain comes through loud and clear in his implicit assertion that the Reds are not good enough for Gotze.

Matthaus also attributes zero weight to the fact that fellow German Jurgen Klopp is LFC's manager; in his eyes, Champions League football is the deciding factor, and, unfortunately, many top players will inevitably share this view.

Finishing 8th in the league - like Graeme Souness in 1994 - is utterly lamentable, and I maintain (as I have all season) that Klopp had more than enough time (and quality at his disposal) to finish in the top six.

Liverpool's inability to achieve that is a failure of epic proportions, with far-reaching consequences for the club's transfer prospects.